Another sample from the same teafriend! I normally don’t bother with green teas, aside from the occasional sencha or gyokuro, as it’s annoying to have to drink them while they’re still fresh and I just like oolong and puerh better 9.9/10 times. I certainly wasn’t going to say no to a package which included some fresh teas though! I think this one is the first fresh Chinese green I have tried.
I tried it gongfu first, and found it to be so-so. It was vegetal and brothy with a bit of grassiness.
I much preferred it the second time I drank it when I did grandpa style. It took a while for all of the leaves to sink to the bottom, so I had to filter through my teeth for the first couple mugs full. The flavor was actually pretty intense at the start – very brothy and nutty, with a bit of a vegetal flavor as well. The nuttiness was the main flavor I noticed through most of the session. I think there may have been a bit of straw or hay underneath as well. I didn’t pick up any notes which I would describe as “bright” or “crisp.” No fruit or anything like that. The flavor also had an unusual depth to it, which I had a bit of trouble placing, but I think it was some umami in the nutty flavor which was tricking my palate some.
I certainly enjoyed my time with this tea, but Mao Feng won’t be something that I pick up on a regular basis or anything.
Flavors: Broth, Hay, Nutty, Umami, Vegetal
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Perhaps the most annoying thing about green tea is how easily it oxidizes – it sounds like that’s what happened with your sample. It doesn’t keep well anywhere unless you have one of those double-lidded tea tins, and even then you still gotta finish it fast.
Glad you tried it. I think this is some of the better green I’ve had, but like yourself, puerh is my #1 go to. :P
Yea, Pu #1! :P
And yea, tanluwils – that is why I haven’t bought much green tea. Like when I bought a decent-sized order of Japanese greens, I just got a bunch of tiny samples. Can’t have em going bad/stale on me.
I feel ya. I try not to buy too many greens, but went on a bit of a buying spree this spring to feed by shincha craving. I’ve had good luck keeping my greens (including green oolongs) in air tight Japanese tea tins. They can stay tasty for about a year if stored in a cool dark place. I keep unopened packs in the fridge and take them out to settle to room temp for several days if I plan to open them.
I had the same experience. The less attention I pay to this tea the more I like it — it has turned out to be a great one for the office.
Perhaps the most annoying thing about green tea is how easily it oxidizes – it sounds like that’s what happened with your sample. It doesn’t keep well anywhere unless you have one of those double-lidded tea tins, and even then you still gotta finish it fast.
Glad you tried it. I think this is some of the better green I’ve had, but like yourself, puerh is my #1 go to. :P
Yea, Pu #1! :P
And yea, tanluwils – that is why I haven’t bought much green tea. Like when I bought a decent-sized order of Japanese greens, I just got a bunch of tiny samples. Can’t have em going bad/stale on me.
I feel ya. I try not to buy too many greens, but went on a bit of a buying spree this spring to feed by shincha craving. I’ve had good luck keeping my greens (including green oolongs) in air tight Japanese tea tins. They can stay tasty for about a year if stored in a cool dark place. I keep unopened packs in the fridge and take them out to settle to room temp for several days if I plan to open them.
I had the same experience. The less attention I pay to this tea the more I like it — it has turned out to be a great one for the office.